Digital Fees in Radio's Future?

Could radio pay a fee for ancillary services it will offer when it goes digital? That would be up to Congress, FCC Chairman Michael Powell tells RW Online. Although TV doesn't pay for its new digital channels, Congress did tack on a 5-percent fee of the gross annual revenues for ancillary spectrum use. Apparently, access to the spectrum will continue to cost money in the future. Powell said government spectrum auctions increase efficiency. He doesn't foresee exempting radio from any future changes in auction rules. Powell has directed the FCC to review and update rules governing spectrum policy and mass media. He said the entire underpinnings for media ownership regulation are outdated and do not take into account today's business models. He directed the agency to study media markets, specifically, diversity, pricing and its ownership restrictions.